In Vitro and Human Pilot Studies of Different Topical Formulations Containing Rosa Species for the Treatment of Psoriasis

The aim of this study was to evaluate the phytochemical profile and antioxidant properties of the extracts from three Rosa species (R. canina, R. damascena, R. cairo), to develop and investigate topical formulations with lyophilized forms of extracts for the treatment of psoriasis. Phytochemical screening and in vitro total antioxidant capacity (DPPH, FRAP, CUPRAC, SOD) of studied samples were examined and compared. Lyophilized extracts of roses were dissolved in Transcutol HP and different formulations of creams were prepared. Franz diffusion method was used to evaluate the drug release and biocompatibility was tested on HaCaT cells. Rosa damascene had the best results regarding all the analyses that were conducted. After the evaluation of topical products, the formulation with Rosa damascena extract in a self-emulsifying drug delivery system was tested on a human clinical study that involved 20 patients. At the end of the clinical study an improvement in the quality of life of the patients was observed and erythema, induration and scaling were reduced. The present study indicates that our examined extracts exhibited great phenolic content, antioxidant capacity and safety profile of topical formulation and therefore can be used as a reliable source of natural antioxidants and may be used as a complementary treatment to improve the quality life of patients with psoriasis or may be tested on another diseases.     

Topical Dosage Formulation of Lyophilized Philadelphus coronarius L. Leaf and Flower: Antimicrobial,Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Assessment of the Plant

Philadelphus coronarius is a versatile plant and its use in folk medicine has a long tradition; however, scientifically, the medical utilization of the herb is a less explored research field. The aim of our study was to identify and determine the quantity of the bioactive compounds of both the leaf and the flower and prepare a lyophilized product of them, from which medical ointments were formulated, since the topical application of P. coronarius has also not been studied. In vitro drug release, texture analysis and biocompatibility experiments were carried out, as well as the investigation of microbiological, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. According to our results the composition and the selected excipients of the ointments have a great impact on the drug release, texture and bioavailability of the preparation. During the microbiological testing, the P. coronarius leaf was effective against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, but it did not significantly decrease IL-4 production when it was tested on HaCaT cells. P. coronarius is a promising herb, and its topical application in antimicrobial therapy can be a useful addition to modern medical therapy.     

Calendula officinalis-based green synthesis of titanium nanoparticle: Fabrication,characterization, and evaluation of human colorectal carcinoma

Calendula officinalis is a flowering plant with various applications in traditional medicine. The herbal products of the plant are also used in pharmaceuticals or food. In this study. Titanium dioxide nanoparticles were synthesized using Calendula officinalis extract in an aqueous medium. The plant extract plays a role as the stabilizing and reducing agent. The nanoparticles were characterized by UV–Vis. and FT-IR spectroscopy, XRD, SEM, and Energy EDS techniques. In the cellular and molecular part of the recent study, the treated cells with TiNPs@C. officinalis were assessed by MTT assay for 48 h about the cytotoxicity and anti-human colorectal carcinoma properties on normal (HUVEC) and colorectal carcinoma cell lines i.e. WiDr, SW1417 [SW-1417], DLD-1, and LS123. According to the XRD analysis, 15.68 nm was measured for TiNPs crystal size. SEM images exhibited a uniform spherical morphology in range size of 15.72—40.74 for the biosynthesized nanoparticles respectively. In the antioxidant test, the IC50 of TiNPs@C. officinalis and BHT against DPPH free radicals were 212 and 173 µg/mL, respectively. The IC50 of TiNPs@C. officinalis were 181, 250, 271, and 215 µg/mL against WiDr, SW1417 [SW-1417], DLD-1, and LS123 cell lines, respectively. The viability of malignant colorectal cell line reduced dose-dependently in the presence of TiNPs@C. officinalis.     

Qualitative and quantitative high performance thin layer chromatography analysis of Calendula officinalis using high resolution plate imaging and artificial neural network data modelling

Calendula officinalis, commonly known Marigold, has been traditionally used for its anti-inflammatory effects. The aim of this study was to investigate the capacity of an artificial neural network (ANN) to analyse thin layer chromatography (TLC) chromatograms as fingerprint patterns for quantitative estimation of chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid and rutin in Calendula plant extracts.     

Polyphenols from Dichrostachys cinerea Fruits Anti-Inflammatory,Analgesic, and Antioxidant Capacity in Freund’s Adjuvant-Induced Arthritic Rat Model

Dichrostachys cinerea (L.) Wigth & Arn. (DC) is widely used in traditional medicine against several inflammatory diseases, especially rheumatoid arthritis, because of its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. This study aimed to characterize the polyphenol-rich DC fruit extracts and investigate the analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant effects in a rat inflammation model induced by complete Freund’s adjuvant (CFA). Water and ethanolic extracts were characterized using liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (LC-MS), Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The polyphenol-rich extracts were administered in three different concentrations for 30 days. Pain threshold, thermal hyperalgesia, edema, and serum biomarkers specific to inflammatory processes or oxidative stress were evaluated. Both extracts were rich in polyphenolic compounds, mainly flavan-3-ols, proanthocyanidins, and flavone glycosides, which had important in vitro antioxidant capacity. DC fruit extracts administration had the maximum antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory effects after one day since the CFA injection and showed promising results for long-term use as well. The measurement of pro-inflammatory cytokines, cortisol, and oxidative stress parameters showed that DC extracts significantly reduced these parameters, being dose and extract-type dependent. These results showed potential anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and antioxidative properties and revealed the necessity of using a standardized polyphenolic DC extract to avoid result variability.     

Green formulation,chemical characterization,and antioxidant,cytotoxicity, and anti-human cervical cancer effects of vanadium nanoparticles: A pre-clinical study

In this study, V₂O₅ nanoparticles were synthesized in an aqueous medium using Calendula officinalis extract as stabilizing and reducing agents. The synthesized nanoparticles (VNPs@C.officinalis) were characterized using different techniques including UV–Vis. and FT-IR Spectroscopy, X‐ray Diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectrometry (EDS). According to the XRD analysis, 28.83 nm was measured for VNPs@C.officinalis crystal size. SEM images exhibited a uniform spherical morphology in size of 38.14 nm for the biosynthesized nanoparticles. To survey the cytotoxicity and anti-human cervical cancer effects of C. officinalis aqueous extract and vanadium nanoparticles, MTT assay was used on C-33 A [c-33a], SiHa, Ca Ski, DoTc2 4510, HT-3, and LM-MEL-41 cell lines. The IC50 of the vanadium nanoparticles were237, 259, 226, 409, 335, and 192 µg/mL against C-33 A [c-33a], SiHa, Ca Ski, DoTc2 4510, HT-3, and LM-MEL-41 cell lines, respectively. To survey the antioxidant properties of Calendula officinalis aqueous extract and vanadium nanoparticles, the DPPH test was used. The vanadium nanoparticles inhibited half of the DPPH molecules in a concentration of 125 µg/mL. As mentioned, the vanadium nanoparticles had significant antioxidant and anti-human cervical cancer effects.     

Anti-inflammatory activity of methyl salicylate glycosides isolated from Gaultheria yunnanensis (Franch.) Rehder

Gaultheria yunnanensis (Franch.) Rehder is a kind of traditional Chinese herbal medicine used for the treatments of rheumatoid arthritis, swelling and pain. Two methyl salicylate glycosides, namely methyl benzoate-2-O-β-D-xylopyranosyl(1-6)-O-β-D-gluco-pyranoside (J12122) and methyl benzoate-2-O-β-D-xylopyranosyl(1-2)[O-β-D-xylopyranosyl(1-6)]-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (J12123), are natural salicylic derivatives isolated from Gaultheria yunnanensis. In this study, we investigated the anti-inflammatory activity of J12122 and J12123 on LPS-induced RAW264.7 macrophage cells by measuring the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, accumulation of nitric oxide (NO), and level of reactive oxygen species (ROS). The results showed that both methyl salicylate glycosides dose-dependently inhibited the production of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and IL-6, respectively. Consistent with these observations, J12122 and J12123 significantly suppressed the accumulation of NO, with an inhibitory rate of 56.20% and 51.72% at 3.0 μg/mL concentration, respectively. Furthermore, the two methyl salicylate glycosides reduced the level of ROS induced by LPS. These results showed that the isolated compounds possess anti-inflammatory properties through inhibition the production pro-inflammatory cytokines, NO, and ROS.     

First and second order derivative spectrophotometric determination of benzyl alcohol and diclofenac in pharmaceutical forms

Diclofenac sodium is a drug with analgesic, antipyretic and anti-inflammatory properties. It is present in numerous pharmaceutical preparations. In injectable forms, it is usually accompanied by benzyl alcohol as an excipient, which is used as a blocking anesthetic (4%) and an antiseptic (4-10%). In this work spectrophotometric methodology was used in order to determine diclofenac and benzyl alcohol in injectable formulations by applying, on the one hand, the first-derivative method of crossing zero for diclofenac sodium and on the other, second derivative for benzyl alcohol. The results obtained show that this method has a significant advantage over other techniques and it is appropriate for routine pharmaceutical analysis.     

Formulation Effects in the Antioxidant Activity of Extract from the Leaves of Cymbopogon citratus (DC) Stapf

Cymbopogon citratus DC (Stapf.) is a perennial grass and it is distributed around the world. It is used as a condiment for food and beverage flavouring in the form of infusions and decoctions of its dried leaves. Our previous studies have shown antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and gastroprotective activities for the infusion and its phenolic fractions. The aim of the present work was to develop oral dosage forms from a Cymbopogon citratus extract to be used as a functional food with antioxidant properties. Initially, an essential oil-free infusion was prepared, lyophilized and characterized by HPLC-PDA. Total phenols were quantified with the Folin–Ciocalteu method and the antioxidant activity was assessed by DPPH assay. Gelatine capsules containing the extract with different excipients, selected after DSC and IR trials, were prepared. A formulation exhibiting better antioxidant behaviour in a gastric environment was attained. These results suggest that the proposed formulation for this extract could be a valuable antioxidant product and, consequently, make an important contribution to “preventing” and minimizing diseases related to oxidative stress conditions.     

Antibacterial Activity of Biosynthesized Selenium Nanoparticles Using Extracts of Calendula officinalis against Potentially Clinical Bacterial Strains

The use of selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) in the biomedical area has been increasing as an alternative to the growing bacterial resistance to antibiotics. In this research, SeNPs were synthesized by green synthesis using ascorbic acid (AsAc) as a reducing agent and methanolic extract of Calendula officinalis L. flowers as a stabilizer. Characterization of SeNPs was performed by UV-vis spectrophotometry, infrared spectrophotometry (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques. SeNPs of 40–60 nm and spherical morphologies were obtained. The antibacterial activity of marigold extracts and fractions was evaluated by disk diffusion methodology. The evaluation of SeNPs at different incubation times was performed through the colony-forming unit (CFU) count, in both cases against Serratia marcescens, Enterobacter cloacae, and Alcaligenes faecalis bacteria. Partial antibacterial activity was observed with methanolic extracts of marigold leaves and flowers and total inhibition with SeNPs from 2 h for S. marcescens, 1 h for E. cloacae, and 30 min for A. faecalis. In addition, SeNPs were found to exhibit antioxidant activity. The results indicate that SeNPs present a potentiated effect of both antimicrobial and antioxidant activity compared to the individual use of marigold extracts or sodium selenite (Na₂SeO₃). Their application emerges as an alternative for the control of clinical pathogens.     

Design and feasibility assessment of topically applied drug formulations for electroporation

Few studies have been reported on the design of topical formulations consisting of electrodes and active drugs for electroporation as a means to increase skin permeability of the drugs, although many studies were reported for the effect of this physical means using aqueous drug solutions. We, therefore, designed a prototypic reservoir and matrix topical formulations that are suitable for electroporation in the present study. Plate-plate Ag electrodes and sodium diclofenac were used as model electrodes and the drug, respectively. The in vitro skin permeations of the drug obtained from the reservoir and matrix formulations were slightly higher than that from an aqueous suspension. This may be due to slightly higher electric field in the skin barrier for the presently designed formulations than that for the aqueous suspension. The present feasibility test suggests that these reservoirs and matrix formulations are useful prototypic topical formulations for electroporation application to improve the drug permeability through skin.     

Biological regulation on synovial fibroblast and the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis by nobiletin-loaded tetrahedral framework nucleic acids cargo tank

The hyperplasia and destruction of synovial tissue have an important impact on the development of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), the abnormal proliferation and migration of synovial fibroblast in synovial tissue is similar to tumor cells. Targeting anomalous synovial fibroblast and designing a high bioavailability nano drug delivery system can reduce the dosage for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and it is of great significance to reduce toxic and side effects and improve curative effect. In this experiment, the nobiletin-loaded tetrahedral framework nucleic acids cargo tank was established, carrying anti-inflammatory small molecule monomer drug nobiletin with minimal bioavailability. Both in vitro cell experiments and in vivo animal studies proved the nano cargo tank enhance the role of nobiletin in reducing the invasiveness of pathological synovial fibroblast and promote their apoptosis, effectively alleviate the disease development of rheumatoid arthritis.     

Effect of Ginger on Inflammatory Diseases

Ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, and lupus erythematosus are some of common inflammatory diseases. These affections are highly disabling and share signals such as inflammatory sequences and immune dysregulation. The use of foods with anti-inflammatory properties such as ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) could improve the quality of life of these patients. Ginger is a plant widely used and known by its bioactive compounds. There is enough evidence to prove that ginger possesses multiple biological activities, especially antioxidant and anti-inflammatory capacities. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge about the bioactive compounds of ginger and their role in the inflammatory process and its signaling pathways. We can conclude that the compounds 6-shoagol, zingerone, and 8-shoagol display promising results in human and animal models, reducing some of the main symptoms of some inflammatory diseases such as arthritis. For lupus, 6-gingerol demonstrated a protective attenuating neutrophil extracellular trap release in response to phosphodiesterase inhibition. Ginger decreases NF-kβ in psoriasis, and its short-term administration may be an alternative coadjuvant treatment. Ginger may exert a function of supplementation and protection against cancer. Furthermore, when receiving chemotherapy, ginger may reduce some symptoms of treatment (e.g., nausea).     

GC-MS Analysis and Biomedical Therapy of Oil from n-Hexane Fraction of Scutellaria edelbergii Rech. f.: In Vitro,In Vivo,and In Silico Approach

The current study aimed to explore the crude oils obtained from the n-hexane fraction of Scutellaria edelbergii and further analyzed, for the first time, for their chemical composition, in vitro antibacterial, antifungal, antioxidant, antidiabetic, and in vivo anti-inflammatory, and analgesic activities. For the phytochemical composition, the oils proceeded to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis and from the resultant chromatogram, 42 bioactive constituents were identified. Among them, the major components were linoleic acid ethyl ester (19.67%) followed by ethyl oleate (18.45%), linolenic acid methyl ester (11.67%), and palmitic acid ethyl ester (11.01%). Tetrazolium 96-well plate MTT assay and agar-well diffusion methods were used to evaluate the isolated oil for its minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC), minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC), half-maximal inhibitory concentrations (IC₅₀), and zone of inhibitions that could determine the potential antimicrobial efficacy’s. Substantial antibacterial activities were observed against the clinical isolates comprising of three Gram-negative bacteria, viz., Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and one Gram-positive bacterial strain, Enterococcus faecalis. The oils were also effective against Candida albicans and Fusarium oxysporum when evaluated for their antifungal potential. Moreover, significant antioxidant potential with IC₅₀ values of 136.4 and 161.5 µg/mL for extracted oil was evaluated through DPPH (1,1-Diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl) and ABTS assays compared with standard ascorbic acid where the IC50 values were 44.49 and 67.78 µg/mL, respectively, against the tested free radicals. The oils was also potent, inhibiting the α-glucosidase (IC50 5.45 ± 0.42 µg/mL) enzyme compared to the standard. Anti-glucosidase potential was visualized through molecular docking simulations where ten compounds of the oil were found to be the leading inhibitors of the selected enzyme based on interactions, binding energy, and binding affinity. The oil was found to be an effective anti-inflammatory (61%) agent compared with diclofenac sodium (70.92%) via the carrageenan-induced assay. An appreciable (48.28%) analgesic activity in correlation with the standard aspirin was observed through the acetic acid-induced writhing bioassay. The oil from the n-hexane fraction of S. edelbergii contained valuable bioactive constituents that can act as in vitro biological and in vivo pharmacological agents. However, further studies are needed to uncover individual responsible compounds of the observed biological potentials which would be helpful in devising novel drugs.     

Preparation and Evaluation of Antioxidant Activities of Bioactive Peptides Obtained from Cornus officinalis

The present study is a preparation of bioactive peptides from Cornus officinalis proteins by the compound enzymatic hydrolysis method. Response surface methodology (RSM) coupled with Box–Behnken design (BBD) is used to optimize the preparation process of Cornus officinalis peptides. The effects of independent variables, such as the amount of enzyme, pH value, time, extraction times and the ratio of material to liquid on the yield of peptides, are also investigated. The analysis results of the RSM model show that the optimum conditions for the extraction of Cornus officinalis peptides were a pH value of 6.76, temperature of 48.84 °C and the amount of enzyme of 0.19%. Under optimal conditions, the yield of peptides was 36.18 ± 0.26 %, which was close to the predicted yield by the RSM model. Additionally, the prepared Cornus officinalis peptides showed significant antioxidant activity; the scavenging rates of the peptides for DPPH and ·OH were 48.47% and 29.41%, respectively. The results of the cell proliferation assay revealed that the prepared Cornus officinalis peptides could promote embryo fibroblast cells proliferation and repair oxidative damage cells. These results have a practical application value in the design of novel functional food formulations by using Cornus officinalis.     

Simultaneous Spectrophotometric Determination of Benzyl Alcohol and Diclofenac in Pharmaceutical Formulations by Chemometrics Method

Diclofenac sodium (DS) is a drug with analgesic, antipyretic, and anti‐inflammatory properties. It is present in numerous pharmaceutical preparations. In injectable forms, it is usually accompanied by benzyl alcohol (BA) as an excipient, which is used as a blocking anesthetic (4%) and an antiseptic (4–10%). In this work a spectrophotometric methodology was applied in order to determine benzyl alcohol and diclofenac in injectable formulations by applying a multivariate calibration method. By a multivariate calibration method such as partial least squares (PLS), it is possible to obtain a model adjusted to the concentration values of the mixtures used in the calibration range. In this study, the concentration model is based on absorption spectra in the 230–320 nm range for 25 different mixtures of benzyl alcohol and diclofenac. Calibration matrix contains 10–95 and 1–50 μg mL^?1 for benzyl alcohol and diclofenac, respectively. The root mean square errors of prediction (RMSEP) for benzyl alcohol and diclofenac were 3.0776 and 1.7557, respectively. The proposed method was validated by using a set of synthetic sample mixtures and subsequently applied to simultaneous determination of benzyl alcohol and diclofenac in two different pharmaceutical formulations.     

Antibacterial and Antioxidant Activity of Keladi Tikus Leaves Extract (Typhonium Flagelliforme) (Lodd) Blume

Keladi tikus (Typhonium flagelliforme (Lodd) Blume is a plant that has many benefits in - health such as anticancer, anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antihepatotoxic. This study aims to determine the antibacterial and antioxidant activity of different extracts of leaves T. flagelliforme. The agar diffusion method used in the antibacterial activity; DPPH, the FTC and the TBA method used in the antioxidant activity. The results showed the ethyl acetate, n-butanol and water fraction had antibacterial activity against Bacillus subtilis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, while the n-hexane fraction had no activity against bacteria tested. The results of antioxidant activity by DPPH method, the FTC and the TBA showed ethyl acetate fraction was the most active (IC₅₀ = 56.32 ppm) fraction among others.     

Effect of polymer excipients on the enzyme activity of lyophilized bilirubin oxidase and beta-galactosidase formulations

The effects of excipients on the protein stability during lyophilization as well as the storage stability of lyophilized bilirubin oxidase (BO) and beta-galactosidase (GA) formulations were studied using four polymer excipients: dextran, polyvinylalcohol (PVA), poly(acrylic acid) (PAA), and alpha, beta-poly(N-hydroxyethyl)-L-aspartamide (PHEA). Denaturation of BO and GA during lyophilization largely depended on the excipient used. Dextran appeared to cause severe damage to proteins, whereas PHEA protected proteins effectively from denaturation. Storage stability of BO and GA formulations also depended on the excipients, such that the formulations containing dextran and PAA were relatively unstable. Storage stability was improved by absorption of a small amount of water for all the formulations studied. Absorption of a larger amount of water, however, decreased the storage stability of the formulations containing PVA, PAA or PHEA. In contrast, the storage stability of formulations containing dextran did not decrease noticeably with increasing water. This may be because formulations containing dextran have a higher glass transition temperature than formulations containing PVA, PAA or PHEA when a large amount of water is absorbed.     

水杨酸甲酯清除羟基自由基活性的研究

利用脉冲辐解技术研究了水杨酸甲酯清除羟基自由基反应的瞬态吸收谱,测定了水杨酸甲酯与羟基自由基反应的表观速率常数。辅以常规检测方法,测定了水杨酸甲酯对羟基自由基的清除率。结果表明,水杨酸甲酯能快速有效清除羟基自由基。探讨了水杨酸甲酯清除羟基自由基的反应机制。     

The Fight against Infection and Pain: Devil’s Claw (Harpagophytum procumbens) a Rich Source of Anti-Inflammatory Activity: 2011–2022

Harpagophytum procumbens subsp. procumbens (Burch.) DC. ex Meisn. (Sesame seed Family—Pedaliaceae) is a popular medicinal plant known as Devil’s claw. It is predominantly distributed widely over southern Africa. Its impressive reputation is embedded in its traditional uses as an indigenous herbal plant for the treatment of menstrual problems, bitter tonic, inflammation febrifuge, syphilis or even loss of appetite. A number of bioactive compounds such as terpenoids, iridoid glycosides, glycosides, and acetylated phenolic compounds have been isolated. Harpagoside and harpagide, iridoid glycosides bioactive compounds have been reported in countless phytochemical studies as potential anti-inflammatory agents as well as pain relievers. In-depth studies have associated chronic inflammation with various diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, obesity, rheumatoid arthritis, type 2 diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases. In addition, 60% of chronic disorder fatalities are due to chronic inflammatory diseases worldwide. Inflammation and pain-related disorders have attracted significant attention as leading causes of global health challenges. Articles published from 2011 to the present were obtained and reviewed in-depth to determine valuable data findings as well as knowledge gaps. Various globally recognized scientific search engines/databases including Scopus, PubMed, Google Scholar, Web of Science, and ScienceDirect were utilized to collect information and deliver evidence. Based on the literature results, there was a dramatic decrease in the number of studies conducted on the anti-inflammatory and analgesic activity of Devil’s claw, thereby presenting a potential research gap. It is also evident that currently in vivo clinical studies are needed to validate the prior massive in vitro studies, therefore delivering an ideal anti-inflammatory and analgesic agent in the form of H. procumbens products.